Generative AI and ELM Training Courses

Course summary:
This introductory-level course is tailored for all University staff, granting you free access to ELM (Edinburgh (access to) Language Models). Managed by EDINA within The University of Edinburgh's Information Services Group, ELM provides a secure gateway to Generative AI technologies. This course is designed to familiarise you with the basics of responsibly using Generative AI through ELM. It comprehensively covers the essential concepts and ethical considerations of Generative AI, along with practical hands-on experience with ELM.

Audience:
Staff

Completions since December 2024:
978

Further information and booking:
Introduction to responsible use of Generative AI and ELM staff booking

Course summary:
This interactive course is designed to introduce all University students to the responsible use of Generative AI via ELM. ELM provides a free of charge, safer and more private access to Generative AI. Managed by the University of Edinburgh's Information Services Group, this course will help you understand the current Generative AI guidance for students, explore the specific functions of ELM, address the ethical and privacy concerns associated with Generative AI use, and provide hands-on experience with ELM.

Audience:
Students

Completions since March 2025:
231

Further information and booking:
Introduction to responsible use of Generative AI and ELM student booking

Course summary:
This interactive webinar on Prompt Engineering with ELM provides a foundational framework for effectively developing prompts within the context of generative AI. Participants will learn how to create prompts that align with their specific tasks by understanding essential components such as context, task, format, and constraints. The session will involve practical examples and guided exercises, allowing
attendees to gradually build their skills and confidence in prompt writing. By working through real-life scenarios, you will discover how to make prompts more effective and tailored to your needs.

Audience:
Staff

Completions since December 2025:
57

Further information and booking:
Introduction to crafting effective prompts for ELM staff booking

Course summary:
This interactive course is designed to provide an in-depth showcase of all ELM’s features and capabilities. It also provides many practical examples of how ELM can support your work in a responsible way. ELM provides a central, private, secure and more environmentally friendly gateway to Generative AI for all students and staff members. It was developed and is managed by EDINA, which is a part of The University of Edinburgh.

Audience:
Staff

Completions since December 2025:
227

Further information and booking:
Advanced use cases of Generative AI & ELM staff booking

Course summary:
This interactive training session, designed specifically for students, provides a solid foundation in the art of prompt engineering. Attendees will gain valuable insights into crafting effective prompts to harness the full potential of generative AI models.

Audience:
Students

Completions since June 2024:
89

Further information and booking:
Prompt engineering 101 student booking

Course summary:
This session introduces how you can use ELM responsibly and effectively when working with existing Python code, using Noteable as a practical environment. Rather than focusing on writing programs from scratch, you will explore how ELM can support understanding, reasoning about, debugging, and improving code.

You will work through realistic coding scenarios to identify where ELM is helpful (such as explanation, sense-making, and reasoning) and where your own judgement remains essential. The session also introduces how to use ELM via an API within Noteable, helping you understand how these approaches can transfer to other development environments.

This session is designed as a short, accessible introduction and provides a foundation for more advanced programming workflows using ELM.

Audience:
Students

Completions since May 2025:
0

Further information and booking:
ELM for programming student booking

Course summary:
This interactive drop-in session is designed for staff who want hands-on support with writing and improving prompts for ELM. This clinic is task-focused: participants are expected to bring a specific piece of work they are trying to complete and receive targeted support with prompt design and refinement.

The session runs as an open clinic over two hours. You can join at any point, stay for as long as you need, and work through your own real examples with guidance from the facilitator. Support may include getting started from a blank page, improving an existing prompt, or troubleshooting prompts that are not producing the results you expect.

Audience:
Staff 

Completions since March 2025:
New for semester 1 2026/27

Further information and booking:

ELM prompt clinic staff booking

Course summary:
Generative AI tools are increasingly being used by students during the job application process. However, using AI effectively requires understanding both its opportunities and its limitations. In this practical session delivered by the Careers Service and the Digital Skills Team, you will explore how AI can support different stages of the application process while maintaining authenticity and responsible use.

Audience:
Students

Completions since March 2026:
4

Further information and booking:
AI for job applications student booking

Course summary:
Get oriented in your topic and turn that preparation into effective, systematic searches. Covers concept mapping, exploratory searching, citation-based mapping tools, careful use of ELM for search preparation, and structured searching in DiscoverEd and subject databases, alongside AI-powered search tools used responsibly.

Audience:
Staff and students

Completions since March 2024:
16 staff | 34 students

Further information and booking:
AI powered literature searching: Search smarter staff and student booking

Course summary:
Use the papers you have already found to find more, and keep your search up to date for longer projects. Covers backward and forward citation tracing using tools that need no account, demonstrations of citation-network tools such as ResearchRabbit and Litmaps, and setting up alerts.

Audience:
Staff and students

Completions since November 2025:
6 staff | 13 students

Further information and booking:
AI powered literature searching: Trace further staff and student booking

Course summary:
Reading and synthesis are where the real intellectual work of your degree happens, and they are the stages where generative AI needs the most care. This session covers what AI summaries and synthesis tools can and cannot do, the rules for using them without letting them do your thinking, the broader ethics of generative AI, and how to acknowledge and reference AI use

Audience:
Staff and students

Completions since November 2025:
11 staff | 11 students

Further information and booking:
AI powered literature searching: Know the risks staff and student booking

Course summary:
This session offers a complete tour of the literature search process for your dissertation or thesis, built around a six-stage model: Scope, Discover, Trace, Read, Synthesise, and Monitor. You will learn which AI-powered tools can help you find and triage sources, how to use generative AI without letting it do your thinking for you, and how to acknowledge and reference any AI use in your work.

Audience:
Staff and students

Completions since March 2025:
New for semester 1 2026/27

Further information and booking:

AI powered literature searching for your dissertation or thesis staff and student booking

Course summary:

Transform how you work by using generative AI tools to support your activities and take the effort out of routine tasks using generative AI - a self-paced course shaped by professional services staff, for professional services staff.

Audience:

Professional Services staff

Completions since March 2025:

374 staff

Further information and access:

Using GenAI with confidence staff access

Course summary:

A focused one-hour selection from the full online course. In this self-paced course, you’ll work through short videos and written content and complete a hands-on practice activity using ELM.

Audience:

Professional Services staff

Completions since June 2026:

6 staff

Further information and access:

Lunch & Learn: Using AI with confidence staff access

Course summary:
Artificial Intelligence (AI) has significantly altered the cyber threat landscape. This session is designed to explore the role of AI in cybersecurity, focusing on its implications for both cyber-attacks and cyber-defence. You will learn about what AI is, how it is being used in offensive and defensive strategies, and examples of these applications. Additionally, the course will provide a concise overview of current regulations and legal considerations surrounding AI use in cybersecurity, highlighting the rapid developments in this field

Audience:
Staff and students

Completions since April 2024:
42 staff | 23 students

Further information and booking:
AI and cyber security staff booking
AI and cyber security student booking

Course summary:
This session examines how Wikipedia, the free and open online encyclopaedia now in its 24th year, is responding to profound shifts in the online knowledge ecosystem. You will explore external trends affecting knowledge creation and consumption—such as information overload, new contributor incentives, contested content veracity, and the weaponisation of AI—and consider strategic directions for Wikipedia, including growing as a knowledge destination, acting as the internet’s conscience, and serving free knowledge everywhere. The session situates these discussions within the 2025 AI landscape and the implications for search and open knowledge dissemination.

Audience:
Staff and students

Completions since March 2025:
15 staff | 11 students

Further information and booking:

Wikipedia and AI staff booking
Wikipedia and AI student booking